Mesozoic

The geological era from about 252 to 66 million years ago, between the Paleozoic and Cenozoic. It includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods and saw dinosaurs diversify.

Triassic: The first period of the Mesozoic, lasting from about 252 to 201 million years ago. It began after the Permian–Triassic extinction and preceded the Jurassic.
Permian–Triassic extinction event: The largest known mass extinction, about 252 million years ago, at the boundary between the Permian and Triassic. It preceded the Mesozoic’s recovery and evolutionary diversification.
Pangaea: A supercontinent that assembled during the late Paleozoic and began breaking apart during the Mesozoic. Its breakup changed coastlines, climates, and routes for animal dispersal.
Archaeopteryx: A Late Jurassic fossil animal with features associated with both non-avian dinosaurs and birds. It illustrates the evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and birds.
Jurassic: The middle period of the Mesozoic, lasting from about 201 to 145 million years ago. It followed the Triassic and preceded the Cretaceous.
Mesozoic marine revolution: A long-term escalation of predation and defensive adaptations in marine ecosystems during the Mesozoic. It describes major changes in ocean life during the era.
Plate tectonics: The theory that Earth’s outer shell consists of moving plates that reshape the surface. It explains the Mesozoic breakup of Pangaea and the opening of ocean basins.
Coelophysis: A slender, early theropod dinosaur known from Late Triassic fossils. It exemplifies early dinosaur diversity in the first Mesozoic period.
Cretaceous: The final period of the Mesozoic, lasting from about 145 to 66 million years ago. Its end coincided with the extinction that closed the era.
Dinosaur: A member of a diverse group of reptiles that originated in the Triassic and included non-avian and avian forms. Dinosaurs diversified on land throughout much of the Mesozoic.

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